Lucile Watson (May 27, 1879 – June 24, 1962) was a Canadian actress, long based in the United States. She was "famous for her roles of formidable dowagers."

Early years

Watson was born in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

and raised in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, the daughter of an officer in the British Army. Despite his wishes, she traveled to New York City and enrolled in a dramatic school.

Career

Watson was primarily a stage actress, appearing in 39 Broadway plays. In perhaps her most acclaimed performance, Watson portrayed Fanny Farrelly in playwright Lillian Hellman's anti-fascist dramatic stage play '' Watch on the Rhine'' on Broadway in 1941, starring Paul Lukas. Two years later in Hollywood, she and Lukas reprised their roles in the

film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...

, for which Watson received a nomination for the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...

Death

Watson died on June 24, 1962.

Broadway roles

* '' No More Ladies'' (1934) as Mrs. Fanny Townsend * '' Watch on the Rhine'' (1941) as Fanny Farrelly

Partial filmography

* '' The Royal Family of Broadway'' (1930) as Actress Backstage (uncredited) * '' What Every Woman Knows'' (1934) as La Contessa la Brierre * '' The Bishop Misbehaves'' (1935) as Lady Emily * '' The Garden of Allah'' (1936) as Mother Superior Josephine * '' A Woman Rebels'' (1936) as Betty Bumble * '' Three Smart Girls'' (1936) as Martha * '' The Young in Heart'' (1938) as Mrs. Jennings * '' Sweethearts'' (1938) as Mrs. Marlowe * '' Made for Each Other'' (1939) as Mrs. Harriet Mason * '' The Women'' (1939) as Mrs. Morehead * ''

Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge () is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges. Its name commemorates the victory of the British, Dutch and Prussians at the ...

'' (1940) as Lady Margaret Cronin * '' Florian'' (1940) as Countess * '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (1941) as Mrs. Custer * '' Rage in Heaven'' (1941) as Mrs. Monrell * '' Footsteps in the Dark'' (1941) as Mrs. Archer * '' The Great Lie'' (1941) as Aunt Ada * '' Model Wife'' (1941) as J.J. Benson * '' Watch on the Rhine'' (1943) as Fanny Farrelly * '' Uncertain Glory'' (1944) as Mme. Maret * '' Till We Meet Again'' (1944) as Mother Superior * '' The Thin Man Goes Home'' (1945) as Mrs. Charles * '' Tomorrow Is Forever'' (1946) as Aunt Jessica Hamilton * '' My Reputation'' (1946) as Mrs. Mary Kimball * '' Never Say Goodbye'' (1946) as Mrs. Hamilton * '' Song of the South'' (1946) as Grandmother * '' The Razor's Edge'' (1946) as Louisa Bradley * '' Ivy'' (1947) as Mrs. Gretorex * '' The Emperor Waltz'' (1948) as Princess Bitotska * '' Julia Misbehaves'' (1948) as Mrs. Packett * '' That Wonderful Urge'' (1948) as Aunt Cornelia Farley * '' Little Women'' (1949) as Aunt March * '' Everybody Does It'' (1949) as Mrs. Blair * '' Let's Dance'' (1950) as Serena Everett * '' Harriet Craig'' (1950) as Celia Fenwick * '' My Forbidden Past'' (1951) as Aunt Eula Beaurevel

Sources

Lucile Watson biography by Film historian T. R. Bourgeois

References

External links

* *
Lucile Watson
portraits Broadway 1910s or 20s NYP Library * {{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Lucile 1879 births 1962 deaths Actresses from New York City Actresses from Quebec City Canadian film actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian stage actresses Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Ottawa